Cefadroxil left out

[UPDATE] A few months back, I tried to open a crowdfunding just so I can try assuring myself because the doctors were giving red flags. I posted the link here too but I might or might not have been an active Reddit user at the moment. Here's the news. I used up my free healthcare for this and I can't get back on the same case anymore for t least three months because I kind of made a mistake. SO on how it works is that, you usually go to a general practitioner to get the government funded healthcare transfer and once you get the transfer it is all up to the specialists who you are referred to. Back then I had shown sign of quick recovery and all the infection are drying off, so the specialists considered my case as done. What I should've done was to get a "control letter" so I can get back to the hospital in case anything happens but I didn't realize that because I was maybe too exhilarated at the moment. The worst that can happen, happened. Around two weeks later, all the pus are coming back, and the lymph is more painful than ever. I messed up because now I can't even ask my general practitioner another transfer for this case because legality problem and stuff. So yeah I've been enduring it thus far with medicine I've been given and buy the same thing again, with the exception that I ran out of the effective ointment the specialists gave. I had to make a compromise of course. There are new pictures of the infections and it's worse than what I have uploaded below, if someone wants to truly see that Ill upload the new infections and the new wounds.
Hello, everyone. How's your 2024 so far? I hope I can hear some good news but unfortunately that can't come from me. After going back and forth to the hospital, I need to take this surgery. There is maybe a picture that might or might not disturb you. It is a picture of a collage of skin infections of mine so beware.
https://gogetfunding.com/lymphsurgery
I (19M) am diagnosed with Lymphadenopathy which was assumably caused by the these very painful skin infections that I am currently enduring. From what I know the surgery cost really vary but since I am not that far gone yet, with the money that we'll be raising, I can have the skin infections treated first so there won't be any complications arising or even the same diagnosis coming back to me. Here's the whole story before I am positive that I need the surgery: I've had these lumps on both left and right of top of my thighs for years now, and the pain usually just comes and goes. But this year, I decided to get it checked so I went to my usual general practitioner. When I was there, I pulled up my short pants all the way up and let him felt the lumps. He said, "Oh it's there, it's big." He wrote them down as hernia and said "You're still young." My GP gave a me a referral to the digestive surgery clinic in a state owned general hospital so the specialist there can do an extensive check up. Here comes my first question (not my main question), should I be really worried about this? I had it years now, sure the pain resurfaced from time to time but it's barely an inconvenience when it's not doing anything. So yeah, GP diagnosed me with " Unilateral or unspecified inguinal hernia, with obstruction, without gangrene (K40.3)." I went to the hospital with the referral to do the appointment, the specialists there did some checking, feeling, and asked me a bunch of questions about the lumps. They made me go to radiology lab to do a USG test and cytology diagnosis on the other lab. While still waiting on the results, the specialists gave me a clear to go home and come back with the results. Since my country has universal healthcare, everything is covered by it like the check, the tests, the control, the meds, and even the surgery. But sometimes, some types of medication aren't covered by the healthcare if the condition is far more complex. The specialists did examine that I have skin infections and scars of them and this might have to be handled by different specialists. I am worried that my meds won't be covered and will have to pay for treatment for the skin first if the specialists suspect (lymphadenopathy) is correct before any real action done be done to the lumps. And the thing is the referral lasts for like 3 months before I get to ask for another one. The doctor told me it'd be pointless if the root of the problem isn't solved. So yeah that's pretty much it. Although, the specialists did give me recipe of some pills like antibiotics (Cefadroxil Monohydrate, 500mg) and some sort of pain reliever tablet (Meloxicam, 7,5mg). Cheers.

There's been a bunch of questions about Reformkliniken on here but not many detailed writeups, so I (28, NB, no T) figure I'll pitch in with my experience so far, both the day of surgery and recovery. I've had buttonhole DI top surgery not quite two months ago, and like many (all?) patients at Reformkliniken I didn't have drains. Brace yourself, this is going to be half of a novel.
TLDR: I'm super happy with my results, only had a minor complication, recovery is pretty textbook despite me occasionally screwing up.
(Getting to) the consultation
The consultation was about a year before surgery because my savings ended up used for something pretty different and I needed the year to save up again, so I don't remember it in super many details. Key things I do remember:

• it's really hard to get a time through their online booking system, you may have a better chance calling them - that will also take a couple of tries, and their phone tree is in Swedish, but if you don't press anything it'll put you through to the reception
• Dr. Tuve was good at explaining what kind of procedures would work for me, and demonstrated what would be done; he also knew off the top of his head which of my medications would interfere with anesthesia or healing and when I should take medication breaks.
• don’t remember if I straight up told him I had ADHD or if it was just obvious from the medication, but that was no issue either
• I opted for keeping my nipples, but as I recall he posed whether I want to keep them or not as a completely open question
• there was absolutely no requirement for having been on testosterone (never have been, never will, and it was absolutely no issue)
• word of warning, if you speak sufficiently understandable Danish, there's a risk he'll speak... Swedish? Swe-danish?... with you. That said, I understood him even though Danish is my third language, and he understood me even though I could only give my weight and height with the "basically a math problem" Danish words for the numbers. Everyone else at the clinic spoke English with me, though.

Before the surgery
About a month and a half before surgery I got a mail from the clinic with the surgery date, price (42.000 Swedish kroner - I think that's only their starting price by now, but I think I got it because it was the one agreed on at the consultation), payment information, and instructions on how to prepare for the surgery, what to do after the surgery, and what to bring (comfortable clothes and compression socks, plus the antibiotics and pain medication they prescribe you).
Their info materials say top surgery usually is an outpatient surgery, but you'll be able to stay overnight if there's any issues or if you feel safer doing so. That said, there apparently isn't always a doctor at the clinic on Fridays, so if your surgery is on a Thursday like mine was, you won't be able to if it's just personal worry.
From two weeks before the surgery, I had to avoid taking any painkillers that have blood-thinning properties, and cut my nails super close (I already do due to my job, but paid extra attention to it...)
The medication they prescribed me was paracetamol and celecoxib (an NSAID) for the pain and cefadroxil (a broad-spectrum cephalosporine antibiotic) as a prophylactic antibiotic. (My mom's a nephrologist [and incorrigible micromanager], wanted to know about my meds and wasn't too happy about the celecoxib, apparently it's not the greatest for the kidneys - she told me to really make sure I was hydrated. It ended up not being that much of a problem - more on that later.) If you're not in the Swedish healthcare system, they'll tell you the specific pharmacy where you can pick up your medication - I assume if you are you'll probably be able to pick it up wherever.
Since it was just a couple of hours by train for me my sister and I went to Malmö the day before the surgery, picked up the meds, checked into a hotel close to the clinic and went to have a solid dinner to celebrate. I also took the first dose of the antibiotic.
I took a shower (with unscented sensitive shower gel) before I went to bed, and in the morning before I went to the clinic, I showered again. I was allowed clear liquids until two hours before I checked into the clinic, and took advantage of that - being properly hydrated definitely doesn't hurt in terms of helping them find your veins when they give you an IV.
The day of surgery
I checked in early in the morning, at around 7.00, spent a bit of time in the waiting room, and then it feels like things happened pretty quickly.
I was called up, shown a room and asked if it was okay for me to share it with someone (it was). A nurse went over my intake questionnaire (health, medication, allergies, smoking, diet,...) with me and registered all the information. Then I got sent to take yet another shower, this time with antibacterial soap, and change into the clinic's bathrobe and slippers. (Protip for other long-haired folks: braid your hair after you washed it. If you leave it loose it WILL tangle and it'll take forever to unknot because you won't be able to brush it yourself. Ask me how I know.) After the shower, I went back to the room and put on my compression socks, making sure not to stand on the floor without slippers.
A bit of time passed, I think I may have chatted with my roommate (he was also in for top surgery), and then the nurse came with a metric ton of pills and some liquid anti-nausea medication. As I recall, the pills were

• prescription painkiller
• paracetamol (a lot of paracetamol)
• maybe celecoxib
• ...and that's where it gets fuzzy, I think even more anti-nausea stuff?

Protip here: take the liquid anti-nausea medication first, it tastes nasty and the juice you'll get to take the pills with will wash the taste away.
Then I was sent in to Dr. Tuve to talk over the procedure - it was exactly what he'd explained at the consultation, of course, but it was to be sure that we were on the same page. He drew where the incisions would be on my chest and also wrote "FTM BUTTONHOLE" on my chest. Which was weirdly calming to me, because I could tell things were being prepared and documented properly and they were making absolutely sure that they'd perform the right procedure (I'd rather have a surgeon who documents the "obvious" than one who figures it'll be fine and they can remember). He also took photos from the front and side.
Shortly after that it was time for surgery. I had a brief chat with the anaesthesist where he confirmed with me that I'd had a break from the medication I'm taking that could mess with the anesthesia, and then it was off to the OR. Since the clinic isn't super huge, that meant walking like five steps. I got one of these hair nets to put on beforehand so my hair wouldn't shed all over the place, and straight after the door to the OR there was some sort of sticky mat that I think was there to remove any possible contamination on the slippers. I got onto the operating table by myself and... probably babbled the poor anaesthesist's head off to distract myself. He originally wanted to insert the IV line on the back of my hand but since I've still got some residual nerves about needles and have desensitized myself a lot more to needles in the crook of the elbow as a regular plasma donor, he went with that. I got the "oxygen" mask on my face and was told to take deep breaths, tried to name a fruit for each letter of the alphabet in my head... I got to M, then I felt my legs get heavy, and next thing I knew was I was back in the room in my bed, feeling like I'd been woken up in the middle of a really good nap. For everyone concerned about saying something embarrassing: I think I might have talked to a nurse and mixed together English and Danish in the middle of a sentence and when I was slightly more awake I sent my family a very zonked-out selfie and a terrible pun as proof of life, but nothing worse XD
I was "just-woke-up-from-a-nap" groggy for maybe an hour or two and dizzy the first... half hour? at least the first hour (I complained at everyone who'd listen, just found the chat with my poor sister again XD)... but I had zero nausea and immediately said yes when a nurse asked me whether I wanted something to eat and drink. No problems with eating either, except it was kind of hard to swallow with a sore throat. No problem drinking either - they'd provided a straw but I didn't really need it. There was one issue... maybe a bit TMI, but it took me what felt like forever before I could pee again. Three hours, I think? It's a common reaction to anesthesia, but it spooked me, so if any of you all encounter that, here's your reassurance that it'll pass.
At some point one of the nurses came in, both to show me how to use the compression bandage I got and to show me my chest(!!!). When the bandages came off I was just repeating "oh my god I'm flat" for a solid five minutes XD Then he changed the compresses on my incisions, bandaged my chest with some fairly tight elastic bandages that had to stay on until the next morning, and showed me how to put on my compression bandage, which basically was just a long elastic belt thing with velcro.
Skipping ahead here to the binder life hacks I figured out for myself: if you tend to pull the binder too tight, take like half a breath before you put it on, hold your breath, and only release when everything is velcro'ed in place.
Once I'd eaten, walked without getting dizzy, and peed, I was fine to leave. I got a "goodie bag" with more wound care instructions, micropore tape for the incisions, another package of compresses, and some prescription meds - paraflex (chlorzoxazone, a muscle relaxant) and oxynorm (oxycodone) for if the pain couldn't be managed with OTC pain meds, with instructions to first try if the paraflex helped before resorting to oxynorm.
Recovery
Immediately after surgery (day 0-1):
I was feeling pretty good after surgery, but ended up overdoing it (tried to help my sister with buying snacks, even though I didn't carry anything) and spent the evening worrying I'd reopened all my stitches. The night was... well, it sucked. My back and shoulder muscles had probably been relaxed for the first time in five years during the surgery and now were tensing up in new and interesting ways, and the tight bandages were not helping. I didn't want to take the paraflex because combined with paracetamol the risk of liver toxicity is higher, so I... ended up lying in bed staring at the ceiling and got three hours of sleep. (Not that it was better for my sister - the hotel had given us a room with a double bed and they didn't want to risk hurting me, so they ended up sleeping on the floor).
The next morning the tight bandages came off and only the binder remained, which helped a lot with the back pain. However, after breakfast my face started flushing until it looked almost sunburned and felt hot. I called the clinic straightaway, but as it was easier for me to navigate the Danish healthcare system, we ended up deciding I should contact my GP. I managed to just get an urgent time, rushed home with public transport, and made it just in time, while also pausing all my new medication including the painkillers in case it was an allergic reaction to any of them. That was... not fun. The GP determined that since I'd previously taken paracetamol with no worse effect than tiredness, I could keep that, but the celecoxib and cefadroxil had to be replaced with an NSAID I knew I tolerated and an antibiotic from a different class. I picked up the latter at a pharmacy, my sister and I had a boba tea to get our blood sugar back up, and we went home, where I kinda crashed.
I have a blood sample to determine if it was an allergic reaction coming up soon, but my own suspicion is that I'd worn my binder too tight - I got similar but milder symptoms about a week later, and they went away when I loosened my binder.
1-10 days after surgery (recovery with help):
Medication: I'd been warned that the first four days were the worst, and accordingly took my painkillers on a schedule until day 3, then started tapering off and taking them as needed (had some days completely without, and then two with one 250mg dose of naproxen instead).
Mobility/range of motion: the usual - no getting my pulse up, no carrying anything over 1 kg per hand, no raising arms above shoulder height. I fucked up a couple of times, but aside from brief pain it was fine.
Daily life: I took it really slowly on day 2/3, just going for some very short walks while monitoring my pulse like a hawk. As time went on, though, I recovered fairly well, by day 5 I was helping my sister with cooking, by day 7 we went for all-you-can-eat sushi with public transit, and on day 9 we went to visit my best friend a few towns over. I was on sick leave from work the first week and a half.
Healing: my stupid stunts on day 0-1 probably didn't help with healing, so when I was first allowed to check my compresses I had bled enough that I had to use compresses until day 4 (at which point there was no bleeding). I also had one episode of vasovagal syncope - as in, LOL ITS FAINTING TIME - when my nipple bled, but only once, and the warning signs were clear enough I could lie down in time so I didn’t actually faint.
Other things:

• TMI again, but constipation quickly stopped being a problem, and with the new antibiotic I was on, let's say I was very happy that my meals involved all sorts of lactic acid bacteria.
• I slept on my back on my sofa, with the cushions piled up - that helped a lot
• I had zero issues with nausea or lack of appetite - it may have been my sister's great cooking, but I ate a lot. Protein-rich meals, plenty of flavor (without drowning it in salt), and snacks in between. Had been really worried about that since lack of appetite also is a common side effect of my usual meds.
• I was technically allowed to shower but didn't feel comfortable with water touching my chest just yet - that got me told off at the checkup, water just flowing down from my shoulders onto my chest would have been fine and even helpful - and washing my hair required help. That said: get a bunch of washcloths at IKEA to keep the strategic parts clean. They'll also help with the whole "pat your tape dry with a fresh towel every day" thing when showering daily since that way you don't need to have 117 towels or do the laundry every other day
• related to that: 5 days roll-on deodorant is a lifesaver, it helps a lot when you don't have the spoons for putting on deodorant daily.

The checkup:
At the checkup a nurse inspected my incisions and gave me instructions for how to change the micropore tape. The incisions themselves had healed well and there was no excessive swelling, so I got the go-ahead to start leaving off the binder at night. However, I also got confirmation that my nipples, which looked pretty dark from what I'd hoped just was bruising, had had circulation issues during surgery and would scab over and recover under the scabs. I was told to wash them carefully by lathering up some shower gel in my hands and holding the lather over the nips for two minutes, and otherwise cover them with compresses. This is the only complication I've had so far, though, and as they go, it's probably the "best" I could have gotten. Aside from that, my skin kind of reacts to the micropore tape, so I've been told to leave it off for a couple of days if it gets too bad. So far, it's been fine though.
Week 1.5-4 (solo recovery/non-caregiver visitors around week 3/4):
Medication: one single 250 mg dose of naproxen the first day of solo recovery, where I was tired and knocked out and everything sucked and that made things hurt worse.
Mobility/range of motion: same restrictions as before, though it was getting harder to comply - I kept wanting to streeeetch.
Work/daily life: worked from home for two weeks, then took a week off because family came over. Worked the full 8 hours on the first day and I was knocked out afterwards. Hadn't realized the snacks my sister had nudged me to eat in between meals had been so thoroughly necessary, but got better at that quickly, and was way less knocked out after working consequently. Went grocery shopping on foot with a bike trailer that I loaded/unloaded one item at a time, generally got most things done around the house with some workarounds. Cooking was the biggest struggle with the weight restrictions, since the pans I usually used were just too heavy, but I managed to find alternatives in the weeks I was alone and had the family do the dishes in exchange for me cooking the meals in the week they were there.
Healing: I kept being sort of on-off with the binder - left it off for a couple of nights, thought I'd seen swelling, kept it on again,... until about the middle of week 3, after which I consistently left it off overnight, then added an hour before going to bed, then two,... The nipples were two solid scabs and the end of a suture was poking out on the side of one, but aside from poking me in the hand when I showered it didn't do anything, and it fell out when the rest of it dissolved at some point.
Other things:

• at around week 3 I moved to sleeping in my own bed, first with cushions, then flat on my back
• taking off the binder really helped with shrimping, as I felt like it would loosen when I forced my shoulders back down
• protip for long-haired folks: get yourself one of those towel turbans, it's much easier to pat your tape dry after showering when your hair's not dripping water all over the place

Week 4-now:
Mobility: No hard weight, range of movement, or exercise restrictions! (Aside from no pec exercises for the next month and a half.) I've been getting back to cycling to work - the first week I just cycled a bit of the way and took public transit for the rest, then moved to cycling all the way, first with my compression binder, and the last week without. In terms of range of movement I can still get "stuck" sometimes where I'm not sure if it hurts because of the scar or because of the tape, but it's been getting better.
Work/daily life: I've returned to working in person, but am now taking another holiday so I can burn off my time off for this year (had saved up in case work didn't give me sick leave and it racked up to a lot). Don't feel all that many limitations, I feel like I'm close to where I was preop, just with a chest that looks like mine. I am looking forward to being able to exercise my pecs again, though, and during my first workout session earlier this week I was a bit surprised to realize that weights that didn't even register as anything to me before now suddenly weighed something again.
Healing: Wore the binder at work and took it off home, then switched that around because I shrimped so much in it; did that for a week, then only wore it when cycling, and now it's at "when needed". The nipple scabs came off - one a week ago, and the other yesterday under the shower. My nipples look a bit uneven - the right one has more projection than it had before, while the left one currently is maybe a tiny bud - but I'm trusting in the process, since everything has gone well so far. There's still numb spots on my chest, but again, trusting the process.
Overall, in any case, I'm super satisfied with my results! My chest is flat, just the right level of masc-leaning as a sort of "counterbalance" to my long swishy hair (and that without T), I'm happy with the shape of my incisions, and the only complication I've had was a fairly minor one that so far seems to be healing well.

Some background: white, female, 66 years old, 102lbs, around 5 feet tall, life long smoker, "occasional" drinker
Current meds: eliquis 5mg, cefadroxil 500mg, folic acid 1mg, thiamine 100mg, cholecalciferol and omeprazol
My Mom has been hospitalize since this past Friday after her PCP told her to go to the ER because a blood test came back with some resuslts being out of line. Most notable results being her Troponin T levels being 20+ ng/L since July 14 with the last test being 34 ng/L as of August 4. The other result is her Natriuretic peptide test. The last test showed it at 558 pg/mL on August 4. The previous test showed 808 pg/mL on July 31.
Other results:
CHEMISTRY

• low potassium - 2.6 mmol/L today. It was 3.6 on Aug 5, but 2.7 on Aug 4.
• low urea nitrogen - results are showing it been 4 mg/dL since June 26. Lowest was 2 mg/dL and highest was 5. It's showing 3 mg/dL today
• low creatinine - It's been 0.40 mg/dL since July 26.
• low calcium - It's been hovering around 7.8 mg/dL to 8.0 mg/dL

CBC

• low Hgb - currently 9.1 g/dL. It's been under 11.0 g/dL since June 26.
• low Hct - currently 25.9%. It's been low its July 14.
• low RBC - currently 2.49 M/uL. It's been under 3.0 since July 14
• high MCV - currently 104.0 fL. It's been high(104+) since July 14
• high MCH - currently 36.5 pg. It's been high(36+) since July 14
• high RDW-CV - current;y 19.1%. It'sbeen high since June 26

LIVEGI

• high AST - currently 49 unit/L. It's been high since July 14. Highest it has been was 136 on July 24.

NUTRITION

• low Alb - currently 2.7 g/dL. It's been low since July 14
• low protien - currently 5.2 g/dL. It's been low since July 14

CARDIAC/LIPI

• high troponin - currently 34 ng/L. Highest it's been since July 14
• high NT ProBNP - currently 558 pg/mL. It's been high since July 14(214) with the highest being on July 31(808)

ENDOCRINE

• high TSH - currently 10.12 uIU/mL. It's been high since June 27

Her urine results are showing a moderate amount of bilirubin, ketones 40 mg/dL, trace amounts of Hgb and Few/LPF mucus.
ASSUME OTHER BLOOD TEST RESULTS ARE WITHIN NORMAL RANGE
Some other results I found while looking through her health portal:

• chest x-ray on July 31- FINDINGS: Large sliding hiatal hernia. Minimal linear atelectasis or scar left lung base. No acute infiltrate or overt failure. IMPRESSION: Sliding hiatal hernia. Scarring or atelectasis left base
• blood clot in her right arm from a PICC line from her last stay a few weeks ago. I'm told they were able to disolve it but she now has a clot in here left arm.
• from an Echo on July 27 - Left ventricular diastolic function is mildly impaired, with evidence for impaired relaxation (Grade I)
• MRI on July 25 - : Hepatic steatosis. Focal fatty infiltration along the possible malignant. Normal gallbladder. Nonspecific fluid throughout the uppemid retroperitoneum centered about the pancreas. Correlate clinically for pancreatitis. Clustered cystic structures is the pancreatic head and uncinate process, largest 1.4 cm. No suspicious features.
• CT on July 24 - Pancreas: Cystic structure in the uncinate process measuring approximately 15 x 7 mm
• CT on July 24 - FINDINGS: Mild atherosclerotic changes in the aorta. Mild to moderate calcification of the left and right coronary arterial systems is present.

From what I can understand, a Lot of these issues were caused by alcohol. She originally went to the hospital due to double vision, recurrent nasusea and vomiting and bleeding from the PICC line being removed. The previous stay, about a week ago, was for bilateral lower extremity edema and swelling, symptoms worst on the left leg, ongoing for 3 weeks now.
Best I can tell, she was hospitalized the last week of July, discharged on the 31 and went back in on August 4. She was given antibiotics at discharge on her first stay and only took them once and stopped due to upset stomach and vomitting.
What could be going on with my mom? Is she at a high risk of heart failure or is her anemia only making it look that way? I visited her yesterday and spoke with her doctor and he said that she could have been discharged today, but her potassium was too low so they kept her. He also said that the cysts on her pancreas are benign, but didn't say how he came to that conclusion. I couldn't find any tests for that.
Sorry for the long post

Approximate data of myself:
Height /Weight: 170cm / 93kg
Medications: Cataflam, Cefadroxil Monohydrate, Gentamicine sulfate (ointment), Betamethasone Dipropionate (ointment)
Smoking: No (I dont smoke)
Previous issue: Ingrown toenail, both side, both toe.
Left toe had been fully removed twice (wasn't nail avulsion), still becomes ingrown
Right toe never fully removed, only self cut + cut by nail tech prior to surgery
Both had Partial Nail Avulsion / Rozer Plasty on the same day.
Current issue: 3 months post surgery (actually also some around 2 months post surgery), the nail is stabbing into meat again. Occasional pus as well when bleeding. Doctor only told me to keep applying ointment.
Is this growth pain actually normal? Because it did have pus several times already.
Photo: (Duplicate image) - only have right toe in it https://imgur.com/a/7kT0Zcv
I'm reconsidering going thru another partial nail avulsion again but not with the same doctor who did it the first time..
What I've found out
-I went to a nailcare/shop: They said this is normal and to wait until its longer to get it cut (I wanted to get it cut earlier, but was denied with the reason being too short)
-Asked the doctor who did the surgery: Recommend using "ointment" and "pressure" it with bandage/gauze (he will be doing it)
-Asked a different doctor (different country, but a friend referred): Do another Partial Nail avulsion
​
(Reposted because wrong age)

Approximate data of myself:
Height /Weight: 170cm / 93kg
Medications: Cataflam, Cefadroxil Monohydrate, Gentamicine sulfate (ointment), Betamethasone Dipropionate (ointment)
Smoking: No (I dont smoke)
Previous issue: Ingrown toenail, both side, both toe.
Left toe had been fully removed twice (wasn't nail avulsion), still becomes ingrown
Right toe never fully removed, only self cut + cut by nail tech
Both had Partial Nail Avulsion / Rozer Plasty on the same day.
Current issue: 3 months post surgery (actually also some around 2 months post surgery), the nail is stabbing into meat again. Occasional pus as well when bleeding. Doctor only told me to keep applying ointment.
Is this growth pain actually normal? Because it did have pus several times already.Photo: (Duplicate image) - only have right toe in it https://imgur.com/a/7kT0Zcv
I'm reconsidering going thru another partial nail avulsion again but not with the same doctor who did it the first time..
What I've found out
-I went to a nailcare/shop: They said this is normal and to wait until its longer to get it cut (I wanted to get it cut earlier, but was denied with the reason being too short)
-Asked the doctor who did the surgery: Recommend using "ointment" and "pressure" it with bandage/gauze (he will be doing it)
-Asked a different doctor (different country, but a friend referred): Do another Partial Nail avulsion

I'm recommending getting surgery with Dr Tuve Martensson at Reformkliniken, Malmo. I'm really happy with my results and had a good experience of getting surgery outside of the UK. This is a really long post that I have written about deciding to get surgery abroad / outside of the UK. It's of interest if you are thinking about logistics of getting surgery abroad, or if you're trying to prepare for surgery as someone with PTSD and ADHD etc.
This is an extremely long and detailed post, with the following sections:
About me / Deciding to get top surgery / Choosing Dr Tuve Martensson / Booking Surgery Consult / Consultation itself / Picking a surgery date / Logistics for surgery abroad / Finding accommodation / Budget for having surgery abroad / Pre op physical and mental health / Packing for surgery / The day before surgery / Surgery Day / Week one / Week two / Travelling back to the UK / Week three / Week four
About me
I'm 33, live in London, UK, non-binary, not on T.
Deciding to get top surgery
I had been wearing a binder since 2019. It took me a long time to decide to get surgery. The main obstacles were: (1) fear about asking friends to care for me; (2) the high cost of private surgery - I'd started saving in 2019 but pandemic life changes ate up that savings pot; (3) my mental health and hormonal balance problems - I'm someone who gets overwhelmed and has some PTSD and this made me fear post-op depression and emotional lead up to surgery; (4) not "hating" my breasts - sometimes I liked holding them, and I could see that they were beautiful (like all boobs are), but when I like them most was when I and they were lying flat - not "hating" my breasts added to the feeling that I wasn't "trans enough" to pursue surgery, and added to a narrative (absorbed from transphobic terf universe) that I'd "made it all up". I'd developed a toxic narrative in my head that top surgery for me was a boogie and selfish indulgence because I wasn't really trans anyway. I started saving for surgery again in 2021, hoping that once I had the money together I could then decide whether or not to get surgery, or to redistribute the money. I know that money wise it's not this simple for most people to start and stop saving for private healthcare.
I decided in July 2022 to get surgery. I based my decision on realising the back pain I was in from binding 6+ days a week was itself a form of me making a decision, everyday when I put a binder on. So many people live with unavoidable chronic pain, I decided that choosing to live without increasing and avoidable pain was a good enough reason to get surgery. A cancer scare and a pretty life-changing bereavement also added to my capacity to get perspective on my own health and happiness and recognise top surgery as a positive and beautiful thing to do for myself and my capacity to try my best to live a long life in the body I have got.
I knew I wanted to get Buttonhole surgery which is a nipple preserving technique. I wanted this over Free Nipple Grafts, mainly because psychologically I didn't want to "lose" my nipples - or my breasts, actually - I wanted them rearranged more than "chopped off" as lots of people prefer to put it. I knew my chest was too big for peri or keyhole. I initially contacted Dr Ioannis Ntanos (based in Manchester UK) who does keyhole and who a close friend had a really nice and good experience with, after getting a gender dysphoria diagnosis from Gender GP (which Ntanos accepts) but the £200 upfront consultation fee stalled me and made me start looking for cheaper than £7,500 options abroad.
Choosing Dr Tuve Martennson
After finally deciding to get surgery in July 2022 I started looking through Top Surgery Reddit to find non-UK top surgery options under £5k to see if I could get surgery sooner than 2024 with my saving plan.
Dr Jesus Lagos in Madrid had become more expensive (€5.9k) and I'm not a trans man with an "M" in my passport - so Dr Lembas in Poland was out.
I talked to a friend of a friend about Dr Mouremble in Marseille and decided against, based on their unhappiness with surgery post-op care. It was also very difficult to find out how much a non-French citizen would pay.
I researched Nordaesthetics Clinic in Lithuania. It is about £3,500 for top surgery including 2 X post op lymphatic drain massages! The clinic can also collect you from the airport, and there is a few 2 bed apartments that you can rent for post op care which are attached to the hospital itself and where a nurse visits every 24 hours. It seems like an amazing option. I decided against it because I only found one account of the clinic on Reddit - linked here: https://www.reddit.com/TopSurgery/comments/ydd6w2/5_weeks_post_op_dr_goda_astrauskaite/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
I also looked into Dr Ioannis Gkotsikan Thessaloniki in Greece. Top surgery is also about £3,500 or thereabouts. I looked at this account: https://www.reddit.com/TopSurgery/comments/u7wcxh/tw_dry_blood_scabs_1_week_post_op_double_incision/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button I was excited about this option, and if I hadn't have chosen Malmö I would have gone for this. The only draw back was more expensive flights to Thessaloniki.
I settled on Dr Tuve Martensson, Reformkliniken Malmö, because:
(1) buttonhole: I found out through Reddit that he did Buttonhole surgery which I knew I wanted over Free Nipple Grafts. (2) cost: Top Surgery with Dr Tuve Martensson is 42,000 SEK (Swedish Krona) i.e. about £3,500. The consultation fee is 500SEK which is about £40. (3) informed consent not diagnosis: I had a diagnosis from GenderGP anyway but I didn't need it for Tuve Martensson. That felt like good vibes to me. (4) Reddit review and results: these two detailed accounts and photos really helped me imagine the logistics of going to this surgeon and clinic - (1) https://www.reddit.com/transnord/comments/varkbt/1_month_postop_di_ftm_top_surgery_update_with_d?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button and (2) https://www.reddit.com/TopSurgery/comments/y9rv6s/my_experience_of_top_surgery_with_dr_tuve/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
(3) There's also more and more photos of Tuve Martensson's results on Top Surgery Reddit, if you search "Reformkliniken"
Booking surgery consult
The main thing with Dr Martensson is to get booked in for the next available consultation. Call his clinic directly, the receptionist is super friendly and can speak English although it feels nice to ask "do you speak English please" in Swedish etc when you first call. The earliest consultation for me was 6 months away or more, but the receptionist told me to check back on the website for a cancelled consultation.
I initially phoned clinic in December, got a consult on Friday April 21st 2023 but then checked website obsessively (I set three daily alarms per day to check) and by 2 weeks later I had a consult rebooked for Friday January 20th, 2023. Consultations are now only face to face not possible online. Consultations are only on Fridays.
Consultation itself
Me and my partner went to Malmö for 48 hours - two nights in an Airbnb room was £80 total - and flights were £35 return per person, flying Ryanair no baggage from London Stansted to Copenhagen. In Copenhagen Airport you get the direct train to Malmö Central, over the famous bridge. The train is 96 DKK (Danish Krona) which is about £11 per person. We got off at Malmö Triangulen Station (one stop from Malmö Central) and walked 5min to our airbnb room. Next morning we walked 20 mins to Reformkliniken which is 5min from Malmö Central Station for my consultation. The clinic is fancy - tinkly couches, flowers in vases, fridge full of fizzy water etc. At the consultation Tuve spoke in English the whole time. He asked me these questions:
Why I wanted top surgery? If I smoked? Any medical conditions? Any regular medication? My weight and height? How much my weight fluctuated? ( For context I have BMI of 21 and I don't know about how the surgeon is with operating on people over BMI 30 etc)
If I wanted to have children? (I wasn't into this question, it felt quite black and white but I guess it's part of his informed consent questions/assessment. I said I wasn't decided about having children but knew I didn't want to carry biologically or breastfeed. My advice (cynical advice) here is to be as black and white and simple and short answers as you can.)
We discussed that I wanted buttonhole if my chest was suitable for that technique. He asked me what I wanted my chest to look like. This was the part I had prepared the most for, and I would recommend to others to be able to articulate clearly to yourself and your surgeon what you actively want to see rather than just what you don't want to see (breasts). I was able to clearly describe, and show him anonymised results pictures from Reddit, what I wanted: (1) masculinised rather than extremely flat chest i.e. some tissue left on the pecs; (2) with larger nipples/areolas than the standardised masc nipple of 22mm; (3) with examples of top surgery results resembling my pre-T body so he knew that I knew that top surgery wasn't going to magic my body into a masc 90s beefcake.
I asked Tuve why he didn't use drains. He explained that he used them when he first started doing top surgeries 20 years ago but stopped a while ago because he didn't see any benefit when using the technique he uses for the surgery. He explained about the area in more detail than I could quite understand, but I appreciated that he took my question seriously and explained in detail and wasn't patronising or diminishing etc.
Then he asked me to go to a curtained bit of the office and take off top and binder etc and stand in front of length mirror. When I was ready he came in, stood behind and to the side of me, and asked me to describe what I saw in the mirror, and what I wanted to see in the mirror. He then traced with his finger where the incisions would go and (I think) used his hand to move my breast to demonstrate the buttonhole technique. I knew to expect this and I didn't feel weird or uncomfortable or sexualised by this or him.
Then he left while I put my shirt back on. We sat down at the desk again and he pulled out two examples of chests similar to mine who had had buttonhole technique - and he said both had given permission to share results in consultations. Both people had larger chests than me which was good to know because I had been worried that buttonhole was only possible for people with A - C chests, and mine and those two chests were bigger than that. He then explained again, pointing to the photos, how buttonhole technique. I really appreciated his thoroughness with explaining how it all works and what's going to happen. Then he asked if I had any more questions. Then he asked if I wanted to book a date for surgery.
Picking a surgery date
I could pick pretty much any date after mid April (i.e. three months later) and the soonest dates available were Feb 27 and March 16 and March 27.
I chose surgery date for April 11th. It was an amazing feeling being able to have some choice over my surgery date because lots of my friends have not had much choice etc. On reflection I should have picked a date that did not involve booking flights for Easter weekend - this made flights extremely expensive compared to peak times. I'd advise anyone to double check their surgery date options against flight prices and public holidays before choosing a date! I reckon I could have saved £500+ if I'd checked this out and booked flights sooner.
Logistics for surgery abroad
I got special medical travel insurance recommended by a Redditor listed above: Medical Shield Travel Insurance. For two weeks in Malmö/Copenhagen it was £126.
Finding carers to come with me to Malmö was emotionally the most difficult logistic - it's alot to ask of your friends to look after you even in the same city - let alone taking time off work to come to another country.
I decided to ask for 2 friends in week 1 and 2 friends in week 2. I wanted two carers at a time so that my friends had clear on-shift time and off-shift time. If you find it difficult asking for care, this pattern (one friend on in morning, the other on in the afternoon, both around in the evenings) worked for me - it made it easier to ask for and expect attentive care from one person at a time knowing that each carer had a morning or afternoon to themselves to unwind or do uninterrupted work meetings if working remotely.
I had budgeted to pay for carers flights, travel, and food and obviously the Airbnb in full and made this clear in my initial message asking for carers. I also included in my initial message examples of the kind of care I would need. If you want an anonymised version of the message I sent to friends to help write your own, private message me. Asking for care was the hardest part of my top surgery experience but it's also been the most life-changing (sorry for cheesy) to ask for care and be looked after.
Finding accommodation
I tried to book a 2 bedroom Airbnb with sofa bed so that me and two carers could each have private sleeping spaces. The first Airbnb I booked was in Malmö £550 for a week - by far the cheapest. Unfortunately they cancelled and I had to book a much smaller one for £890 with an awful host. I couldn't find an Airbnb with two bedrooms and an additional bed in Malmö so I booked a really lovely apartment in Copenhagen - the host was nice, and the flat was properly equipped with herbs and spices and it was spacious and just really nice. It was £996.00 for 8 nights. Message me if you want the link. If I did it all again, I would book the Copenhagen apartment for the whole two weeks and get a taxi from the Clinic back to Copenhagen straight after surgery.
Budget for having surgery abroad
What I spent on 2 weeks in Malmö/Copenhagen: Accommodation total - £1700 Return flights for 5 people - £1100 Copenhagen - Malmö transport total 5 ppl - £120 London - airport transport total 5 ppl - £150 Groceries for week 1 (Malmö) - £150 groceries for week 2 (CPH) - £200 Taxis due to delayed ryanair flights - £200
Possible ways to save money: - Smaller Airbnbs if it's just you + 1 person - Do 10 days instead of 2 weeks ( it was important for me and my anxiety to stay longer but shorter would have been fine knowing what I know now about my healing and post-op pain) - If you have friend/s who can care for you whole time obviously you'll save on flights and travel - Ask friends to contribute towards groceries - Spend less on groceries and treats - No.1 tip - dont book surgery close to public holidays like Easter - flights will be more expensive - No. 2 tip - don't book late night flights on Ryanair or easyjet however cheap - you'll spend alot on late night Ubers when public transport has finished
Pre op physical and mental health
Physical health - I gave up smoking in July 2022, when I'd finally saved up enough money for Top Surgery with Ioannis Ntanos. I'd smoked since I was 17 (so half my life) and managed to cut down using 4mg nicotine lozenges and crucially by pretending I was only cutting down not giving up. I still had ends of people's cigarettes but went completely nicotine free and smoke free from 5 weeks before my surgery.
Mental health and happiness - I'm someone with PTSD and can go into a what I call meltdowns. In preparation for surgery I completed a "crisis will" (https://fireweedcollective.org/crisis-toolkit/) to give to my carers in case I went into crisis before or after surgery. I also did lots of research about post-op depression. I wrote myself a letter for week one and a letter for week two. The letters were reassuring post-op me why I'd chosen to have surgery and reminding me the cocktail of depressants in my post-op systems i.e. general anaesthetic is a heavy depressant; mammary gland removal with breast tissue causes some hormonal imbalance; antibiotics destroy gut health aka mental/emotional health; sleeping badly because sleeping upright; anxiety about being dependent on carers. A few weeks before surgery I took photos of my chest as a kind of manual Photoshop - by squishing my breasts up and to the side and using a pen to draw on my chosen nipple/areola size - I've included the photo here. This was a really good thing to do - gave me a big, comforting visual reminder of what I wanted and why I was having surgery. It was also a way of spending some time with my breasts and kind of saying goodbye somehow.
Exercise - I tried to do as much gym chest muscle workouts as I could and go swimming lots before surgery to be in best health I could (fyi I don't always 'like' exercising) because knew I couldn't swim or workout for 3 months after surgery)
Diet - I stopped drinking alcohol 2 weeks before as instructed by surgeon. I avoided Omega 3 rich food (fish etc) and supplements as well as ginger, garlic, tumeric because like ibuprofen these foods decrease blood clotting which makes surgery itself more risky and also incision healing less effective. For two weeks before and after surgery I planned a protein and fat rich diet for my carers to make me - I'll include a photo of meal ideas.
Packing for surgery abroad
Medication - I packed: paracetamol, anti-histamine loratadine for itching, arnica for bruising, nytol one-a-night for sleep (no contra-indications with general anaesthetic or antibiotics), vitamin d for immune system, marine collagen (Holland & Barrett) for skin and wound repair, echinaea tablets for immune, ashwaganda tablets for anxiety (I take everyday anyway) and 5htp for potential post-op depression. I packed Huel protein powder for upping my protein intake after surgery.
My number one surgery item: this water bottle, makes it easy to drink 4 or 5 litres of water which I reckon is why I've not been very swollen! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hydrate-for-Health-Hydrant-Drinking/dp/B08663S8N4/ref=asc_df_B08663S8N4/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=463159247745&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17339875090251284951&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-956179785990&psc=1
The day before surgery
We arrived in Copenhagen late on Sunday night, stayed one night with a friend, and next day took train to Malmö Airbnb. En route we stopped at Hyllie, first stop in Sweden, got out and went to collect my presciption medicine from Apoteket Hyllie Emporium in the enormous shopping centre. (Unfortunately the pharmacy made a mistake and didn't have it ready but the next day the clinic gave me double antibiotic dose for the operation to make up for it and made a new prescription in central Malmö for my friend to collect while I had surgery.) At airbnb we unpacked, went to do week grocery shop at Lidl nearby. I stopped eating and drinking at 10pm (I hadn't been given clear instructions from the clinic - make sure you ask in advance!) Packed bag for surgery - clean boxers, compression socks, phone, headphones, charging bank, sore throat sweets, water bottle etc
Surgery day
Woke up 6am Walked to Clinic 6.30am Arrived clinic 7.00am - they wouldnt let my two friends come in but they both advocated to come in because we had some unanswered questions about after care and they came in for ten mins of questions and info.
Was shown to my room (see photos) which is like a fancy spa which made it easier to dissociate in a novel way and pretend I wasn't about to have surgery
Given a fancy fluffy robe, towel and slippers and told to shower (hibiscrub provided) in the shower there.
After shower and robe I went into a room with Tuve and we rechecked my preferences for the surgery, he made markings in pen on my chest and wrote "buttonhole", then photographed me topless from front and side.
I went back to my room. My operation was scheduled for 8am, I think I went in about 8.30ish. Anesthesiologist was lols and nice vibes. He managed to get a canula in my arm without me hyperventilating or fainting, which is actually a first. Told me the general anesthestic would be like two bottles of champagne. Got me to count backwards from ten and I was out.
Woke up back in my room after surgery. Rest of surgery day was really great. I was high as well, very jolly, finding my own jokes hilarious. I ate lots of delicious food offered to me. They wheeled in another trans person who'd also just had top surgery. It was really nice and kind of meaningful to be in the room with someone else trans. I wasn't in any pain at all and didn't feel tired at all, just hyper and handsome and high.
About 6pm the nurse took me to unwrap my binder and remove bandages and show me my new chest. It was good to see my results on surgery day - I had assumed I wouldn't see my results until first checkup 10 days later and had imagined the unknown would be the worst part anxiety and mental health wise. Before surgery day, I had prepared myself (and my carers) for not feeling euphoric when first seeing my chest - a few friends had said they'd not liked what they saw initially. My first glance in the mirror I initially felt ambivalent and a bit disappointed somehow - my body looked like a sunken old man body, something about my nipples seemed lower down my chest than I had imagined. The nurse noticed my ambivalence and asked me how I was feeling. She went to get Tuve, and he came in and explained the proportions of the nipple to the pectoral muscle to the collarbone, taking time to explain it and answer my questions in a kind way. By the time he left, and I had another ten mins of taking photos alone, I was into what I could see. I left clinic at 8pmish and by 9ish when home at the Airbnb I looked at the photos and suddenly could see and feel how beautiful my body looked.
Before you leave the clinic, make sure you have a voicenote and/or very clear written instructions about medication, and about your bandages. I was given a 4 week sick note by the clinic which my employer accepted.
Medication regime I had from clinic
1x antibiotics (Cefadroxil) twice per day with food 2x Paracetamol every 6 hours i.e. 4 doses per day 1 x anti-inflammatory (Celecoxib) every 6 hours i.e. 4 does per day, with food 4 X morphine equivalent for severe pain when needed limited to 2 per 24 hours
Additionally I had 1x collagen three times a day, 3x arnica three times a day, 1x echinaea, 1x ashwaganda, 1x vitamin D, pineapple for bromelain, huel protein shake for protein boost, miso soup and keffir yoghurt for probiotic gut health after antibiotics.
Week one
The night after surgery I took 1 x morphine - the nurse recommended taking 1 x morphine to ensure a solid night's sleep. In fact I hardly slept that night - maybe 4am to 7am, I think my body was totally full of adrenaline after surgery or something. But with the morphine I was resting and fluffy and felt lovely and not anxious.
Morning after surgery day, you take off the compression girdle, take off the brown bandages, take the micropore taped blue absorbant pads (given to you by nurse at clinic) off your nipples but leave the tape on your incisions. Then take a shower, letting the shampoo and hot water trickle over your chest - don't directly shower the area but let water trickle over. Then air-dry for 20 mins, and when dry, retape new blue pads, discard brown bandages forever more, and get your carer to do your compression girdle - it's velcro and this is it here: https://nordicare.org.uk/mika-fixeringsband
For rest of the week I didn't take any more morphine (I'd been given 4 for use 1 per day as and when needed) because I wasn't in any pain, and I really didn't want to get extra constipated.
I drank about 5l of water a day with the water bottle of dreams. I'm pretty sure this helped with not getting super swollen. It definitely helped with shitting - after 10 prunes a day on day 1 and day 2 I managed to shit on the evening of day 2. I was very proud of that. I kind of had the runs (but never actual diarrhea) for the next two weeks after that, caused by the antibiotics.
I had a good/big appetite. I did a 15 min walk/time outside every day that week. I didn't feel up to/ or interested in any more than that. I showered each day. With help of Nightol tablets, I slept from 11pm - 6am most nights, at 6am I woke up, drank a protein shake to line my stomach and boshed pain medication, then slept until 9am-ish. I wasn't really in pain, but watched TV all day, sometimes had a little nap in afternoon.
I wasn't feeling sharp, felt quite flat, but wasn't miserable at all. It was really lovely being looked after by my two friends and juggling multiple TV series at a time. I didn't feel overwhelmed by anything, more like an absence of feeling/sensation which was actually quite nice after pre-surgery social anxiety. My carers helped me check and redo my bandages each day - initially I felt worried about doing it alone, and finding it/myself gross but actually I was okay to do it myself but day 3.
Week two
Was the same as week one. I was well enough to travel from Malmo to Copenhagen Airbnb by public transport. I could not carry any bags so my friends had to struggle with my heavy bag - make sure you take a big suitcase that's easier to move. We tools an uber (£8) for the 1 mile journey from Airbnb to Malmö Central station. Physically I was fine but emotionally the transition and journey was very overwhelming. For that reason I'd recommending not changing Airbnb during your stay if you can get the same place for the whole time.
On Day 9 I had my checkup in Reformkliniken clinic with the nurse. Was given instructions for aftercare onwards. Could take friends into the appointment. Nurse was great!
Travelling back to Uk
We got a taxi from Copenhagen Airbnb to CPH Airport Departures with all the bags. There's no Uber in Copenhagen but there is "Viggo". It was about £44 for a 35 min ride in the middle of the day, and I think it's a fixed rate because it was the same price when my friend arrived very late and delayed.
The Ryanair flight home was very delayed - make sure you're prepared for that and have nice snacks etc - I wouldn't recommend flying home late in the day or early in the day. We had a 15.00 flight which meant checking out of Airbnb by noon.
Week 3
My partner stayed with me for a week to be my person, and they went to work as normal. No painkillers needed. Stopped taking nytol. No swelling.
Week 4
is this week! No painkillers. No nytol. No swelling. Still much more tired than I had anticipated but very happy with my results!

i (J, they/them) had top surgery (double incision, no nipple grafts) with dr. gabriel del corral at franklin square medical center in baltimore, maryland on 7/7/22 at 11:00 am
surgery prep - before surgery, i bought a mastectomy pillow, neck pillow, compression vests from underworks, hibiclens skin cleanser, silicone scar strips... and probably other minor things - i cut the compression vests to the length of a gc2b half binder, since i doubted the full length one would close over my stomach, especially with the bloating after anesthesia - the night before surgery, i took a shower, and at the end washed my chest with the hibiclens cleanser (i was told that any antibacterial soap would be fine if you couldn't get hibiclens specifically) - the morning of surgery, i took a short shower, basically just rinsed off and washed my chest with the hibiclens again, and patted it dry. i put on a loose sports bra and pajama pants, and packed an oversized button-up vest (a flannel with the sleeves cut off) for after surgery
at the hospital - i arrived at the hospital at around 8:40 (i was told to get there by 9, 2 hours before the surgery itself) and checked in at the front desk of the surgical pavilion. from there i and my caretaker went back to a sort of cubicle area for registration, where i verified all my insurance information, primary care doctor, signed some consent forms, etc. then i went to a waiting area for probably less than 5 minutes before being called back to get ready. my caretaker stayed in the waiting room while i was taken back - from there, they took my height and weight, had me do a pregnancy test, and then i went to one of the hospital rooms - at this point it was around 9:10 am, and i was given a hospital gown and socks to change into, with instructions to take everything off (including underwear) underneath the gown. i was given a plastic bag to put all my clothes, phone, etc. in, though i also had a bag i brought with me. 2 new nurses came in after this, one to verify my current prescriptions and have me sign some more consent forms while the other put in my iv and put a pulse reader on my finger. they also put compression things on my legs to keep circulation during surgery at this point. once that was all done, one nurse went to go get my caretaker from the waiting room - after a while, dr. del corral came in and went over what exactly the procedure would be and then drew the guidelines on my chest. he answered a few minor questions my caretaker had, i think i signed another consent form, and he left - around 10:00 (i think), the anesthesiologist came in to go over my history with anesthesia, let me know what he would be doing in the operating room, had me sign another consent form, and left - around 10:45, one of the earlier nurses came in and wheeled me to the operating room (up an elevator). in the OR, most of the operating team introduced themselves, i got up on the operating table, and i was hooked up to the iv and pulse monitor. dr. del corral came up, verified that i wanted no nipple grafts, i think he said good luck or that i was in good hands or something lol. i was given oxygen through a mask, and i don't remember a countdown or anything, just waking up later in the recovery room - i woke up in recovery around 12:00, chatted occasionally with the nurse (a new nurse, i think), but mostly just lay there with my eyes closed. at around 12:30, the nurse asked if i wanted anything to eat and then brought me some saltines and apple juice and water. i ate these really slowly lol, but it was definitely good to have. by 1:00 i was feeling less drowsy, and my nurse asked if i was ready to go down to where i could meet with my caretaker, then wheeled me back there (down the elevator) - i stayed in that room for about another hour, slowly getting less groggy. while there, the nurse demonstrated how to empty the surgical drains and gave us plenty of materials for doing that (plastic gloves, small containers to empty them into, absorbent pads to put under the compression top, sheets to put on the table in case blood drips). she also gave us the prescriptions (oxycodone for pain, cefadroxil antibiotics) and instructions on when to start taking them. after a while, i was able to move enough to get my clothes back on lol. i think i recovered from anesthesia a little faster than most people, as i was comfortable standing on one foot to get my pants back on and the nurse seemed concerned with that lol. i sat down for another while before they got a wheelchair ready to take me out to the car to head home. i also asked to use the bathroom before leaving, so don't feel bad about asking if you're in the same boat lol - in the car ride home, i had the mastectomy pillow between me and the seatbelt– it honestly probably would have been okay without it because the provided compression vest is pretty thick, but it was still nice to have
at home - i made another post about having a lot of drainage from one drain on the first day, so i won't rehash that here. i'll just say that if you have specific questions about drains, medication, etc., to call dr. del corral's office directly, they should be able to answer during normal business hours - i had a really really hard time sleeping the first night because my legs wouldn't stop bouncing even though i was sitting in bed– i think it might have been a side effect of the oxy, because apparently it can cause insomnia, but it could also just be from the anesthesia, i'm not really sure. i stopped taking oxy and switched to acetaminophen/tylenol the next day and slept much better, but ymmv - as far as the compression vest, i found the one provided to be uncomfortable mostly because the lack of shoulder straps made it feel like i needed to hunch forward a LOT to keep it from shifting. late the day after surgery, i switched to the underworks vest i had, and it helped a lot. pro tip, i've been putting menstrual pads over my incisions (sticky side facing the vest, not the incisions), partly to keep blood from getting on the vest, but mostly because my chest was kind of sticky surrounding the dressings and it's easier to remove the vest and then the pads than it is to peel off the vest lol
general notes - the dressings on my incisions are a sort of clear tape (i think they're called steri strips?), and i've had the same ones on since surgery. at my post-op, it sounded like they'd stay on for a while, which is fine by me, it feels more secure to have them there lol. i also hear that having a "wet environment" for the incisions can help with healing and scarring versus letting them air out and scab over, so here's hoping lol - i also take off my compression vest for a few minutes in the morning and evening when i empty my drains and to straighten out my posture lol - also, my drains come out several inches below my incisions, from a separate small hole. they're secured by a small ring and then clear tape for a few inches secures them so they don't feel like they could rip out at any moment lol. i had one taken out 8 days post-op, and the amount of drain inside is really short, not all the way underneath my incisions like i assumed they would be
cost - i have blue cross blue shield epo, and so far the total cost to me has been $0, but the claim for the anesthesiologist was $972, the hospital bill was $8,870, the bill from the surgeon was $4,424
i might add more as i remember, or add a comment on recovery itself, but hope this is helpful to someone!

First symptom came back in November 2021 and then the pain kept increasing. Have not had a pain free moment since it started.
Went to a couple of doctors and urologist and they thought it was epididymitis but without any proof except the pain and tenderness in the scrotum.
When switching to a new urologist he did a prostate fluid test which came out as positive, had 2 bacterias causing an infection. Proteus mirabilis & enterococcus. Went on a AB course of cefadroxil for 3 weeks which actually got rid of the proteus variant. I did not feel any improvement until around 2,5-3 weeks into the course. The symptom that dissappeared after that was my constant chills that I was having. I also gained back a lot of my energy. However the constant pain/discomfort is still there and hopefully it is due to the other bacteria.
The thing that I'm wondering is if there is anyone else who have 0 urinary symptoms or ED? "All" I have is constant pain/discomfort and sensitivity to pressure that spreads around only on my right side. My left side is perfectly normal in regards to the pain/discomfort. I feel it in my penisbase, groin, spermatic cord, thigh and glute. Sometimes I get sharp sudden pain going down the groin to the right side of the scrotum. Also feel burning/icing pain on my outer thigh when lying down.
Seems like everyone else at least has urinary issues which caused my question. Has in general been the worst time of my life and having constant pain is exhausting to say the least. My brain is having a hard time focusing on anything else since it is always in the back of my mind.

Age 23
Sex M
Height 6'03''
Weight 350lbs
Race White
Duration of complaint ( 3 weeks)
Location Chicago Any existing relevant medical issues Hearing loss/tinnitus
Current medications none
I spent $1,000 on 2 ENT visits and don't have enough to go again. I took a course of 10 day antibiotics of Cefadroxil, I had a "skin infection that just so happens to be in my outer ear" and a few days later pus/blood leaked out and I went again to get it drained. That was in my left ear, it hurt a lot and was itchy but slowly stopped. Then before I even finished my antibiotics (day 5 or 6) my right ear started itching. Then pain and really bad itching day 8 or day 9. It still is itching 4 days after I finished my antibiotics, now both ears are INCREDIBLY itchy constantly. I want to jam my fingers in there, but I know that won't help so... what should I do? Another doc visit easily will be $500-600 so I cannot do that until maybe 2 weeks from now.

Hi,
I noticed that my left ankle was swollen out of nowhere yesterday. I'm a male in my 30s, not overweight and healthy. Looking on the Internet for possible causes, I came upon cellulitis (skin infection). I believe I have nonpurulent, uncomplicated cellulitis. I don't have any pain walking, only when I touch the area close to my ankle. A few weeks ago I did have a cut on the upper part of my left foot. I guess that is how it got infected. So basically I need oral antibiotics to get better. It seems that the recommended antibiotics to fight cellulitis is cephalexin 500mg and dicloxacillin 250 mg 4 times a day. (https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/dermatologic-disorders/bacterial-skin-infections/cellulitis#:~:text=relieve%20local%20discomfort.-,Nonpurulent%2C%20uncomplicated%20cellulitis,mg%204%20times%20a%20day.) What it is not clear is from that source is how many days I need to take them.
1- I read that cephalexin is better than dicloxacillin, so what treatment with cephalexin would you prescribe for nonpurulent cellulitis (how many days taking cephalexin 500 mg 4 times a day?
2- Also, I read that cefadroxil is a better version of cephalexin that can be taken once or twice daily (as opposed as 4 times a day). This might be better since taking a pill every 6 hours interrupts my sleep (I sleep 8 hours a day). What would be the recommended dosage if I went with cefadroxil?
Thanks.

Age 29 Sex m Height 5'8 Weight 150lb Race Caucasian Duration of complaint 2 1/2 months Location (Geographic and on body) Penis / Lower Back Any existing relevant medical issues (if any) None Current medications (if any) None
I'm in the US if that matters
I've spent the past two and half months fighting off various penis issues, and I'm looking for second opinions.
Haven't been sexually active since December, and only ever had one partner in the my life (my wife...we are both clean of STDs.)
This issue started out as the discovery of what looked like a pimple on the underside of my shaft, but it had a little core like a blackhead. It popped, so I removed it and put neosporin on the spot just in case. I saw the doctor a day or so later with stinging / burning pain around the urethra. It was noticeably red. He had me pee in a cup (negative) and put me on 7 days of doxycylcin.
The doxy helped, but I didn't feel 100%, so the doctor prescribed me another round. I also noted that the pimple-like thing didn't disappear, so he recommended I show a urologist.
I went to see a urologist a few weeks later, still with some pain around my penis tip and frequent urination. He prescribed me 10 days of Duricef/Cefadroxil, which I took, and he had me schedule a 4 week followup.
The pain cleared up, but I noticed white patches on my shaft which burned to the touch. I treated this with Lotrimin, as if it was fungus, per my doctor's suggestion. Also, at night and in the morning, red bumps would flare up around the rim of my penis head. Weird, only at night.
Had my followup from the urologist last week, and he said everything looks okay, despite the red bumps, and still some redness around the urethra.
Now, the pain in the urethra is flaring up, and my glans is looking scaley and blistery. I've called the doctor reporting change in stool - going from normal to small chunks with undigested food and fibers, as if I had a parasite. They said that was probably from the antibiotics wiping out good flora. Also, for the past 4 days, I've had sharp lower left back pain. I can feel it shoot to my leg sometimes. Almost like a pinched nerve. Just called the doc about this today.
Here are my questions, if you can help:
1) Washing daily with plain dove soap - Am I over-cleansing the glans? Part of me wants to stop washing to make sure I'm not drying it out, but I'm afraid the bumps, yeast, and redness will just flourish without cleansing. Any advice here?
2) Could any/all of this be related to parasites? My doctor has not suggested a stool sample - should I demand one to confirm?
3) Could any of this be related to my prostate, and just increased unbalance because of something going on there?
I feel totally off - just started a probiotic supplement in hopes that'll help. If you've been through this, or have some advice, it would be much appreciated! I'm ready to start shopping around new doctor's - all of them are pretty sure "it's nothing."
Thanks.

It has been nearly a year that I have been covered in an extremely itchy rash, and I have yet to find a diagnosis. I have also been constantly fatigued, and have experienced right axillary swelling on and off. The leading theory is that I have an autoimmune disease of sorts, but the test results have not been conclusive (something that is hard to achieve with this disease category). I have been to two general practitioners, two dermatologists, an allergist, and a rheumatologist, but still don't have an answer and am not sure where to go next.
2013 was a stressful year for me, and made my anxiety go crazy. I graduated from college, got engaged, moved back home with my parents, planned a wedding, worked two high stress jobs, got married, moved into a new apartment, applied/was accepted for nursing school, quit my jobs, and then started nursing school. Needless to say there are plenty of possible "triggers", but that makes it more challenging to nail it down.
My clinical journey :
In September 2013 I began developing the rash. I immediately visited my dermatologist who gave me a Kenalog-40 injection and prescribed fluocinonide cream. This slightly decreased the severity of the symptoms, but the rash did not subside.
I visited with my GP the time following, as my insurance better covered them. She was under the belief that it was environmental, so I made changes to type of detergent, soaps, fabric types, and other products used. None of these changes affected the rash. She had me try various creams, even permethrin as she toyed with the idea it being of insect origin, but no relief was found. In December I stopped taking buproprion, as we thought this also could be the cause, but no relief was found. During this month she placed me on a 9-day cycle of prednisone as well, which did reduced the severity of the symptoms.
I returned to my dermatologist in February and reported swelling in my right axilla (description below) as well as the rash. He placed me on hydroxyzine to help me sleep and help with the itching, started me on halobetasol, and suggested I see an allergist as dermatitis herpetiformis/celiac disease was suspected. He took a punch biopsy of one of the papules on my back, but the results were inconclusive. He sent me for a chest x-ray, which came back normal. He also started me with UV-B phototherapy twice weekly, I continued this for 3 months but it neither helped nor worsened my skin. He did blood work on me and ran a CBC w/differential, a basic metabolic panel, aspartate aminotranseferase, alanine aminotransperase, and thyrotropin Ab, all of which came back normal.
I began visiting the allergist in February, who completed a food allergy panel. Prior to the visit I was instructed to discontinue my antihistamines for a week, I experienced hives with visible wheels (as shown in the photos). The panel was positive for wheat and soybean, so I was instructed to try an experimental wheat/soy free diet for the next month. My rash slightly improved, but when reintroduced to the foods, I produced no allergic response. In March, the allergist tried an additional expanded food allergy panel, to which I was negative to wheat/soy.
At this point I decided to start fresh, and found a new GP. He placed me on buspirone, as my anxiety was getting out of control. He took a comprehensive metabolic panel (normal), CBC w/differential (normal), and an ANA (positive). I was given a Kenalog-80 injection, which actually led to a significant decrease in the rash for 3 weeks. He had me get an ultrasound of my axilla, which was found to be normal tissue. Due to the positive ANA, he sent me to see a rheumatologist.
Prior to the rheumatologist, I went to my ob/gyn. She changed my birth control to the nuvaring, thinking a reaction to the drug could be a possibility. The skin issue did not resolve, and I returned to my previous birth control.
The rheumatologist ran additional blood work. I have yet to see the results, but was told that they came back negative. She verbally described that she ran another ANA, tested for discoid lupus, and tested for celiac disease. Although the ANA was negative, she started me back on a low-dose of prednisone and methotrexate. In the past 6 weeks on these medications, my skin has almost completely cleared. The rash still remains on my low back and the back of my left upper arm. In my appointment with her today she changed my methotrexate prescription from PO to a subcutaneous injection, as the injections have been shown to be more effective.
All in all, we have finally been able to figure out how to treat the symptoms but have yet to find/treat the cause.
General:
23y Caucasian female
5ft 5in, 170lb (was 155 in September 2013)
Regular diet, never smoker, occasional drinker
Married, monogamous
Up to date on all vaccinations, plus additional necessary for nursing school
Blood pressure usually around 110-120/70-80
Resting pulse usually in the 80's
Health history/comorbid conditions :
Generalized anxiety disorder (Diagnosed January 2013)
Mild asthma (Diagnosed 2006)
Scoliosis (Diagnosed 2004)
Hay fever
Sensitive skin
No surgical history
Family history:
Brother: Depression, gray matter heterotopia (dx 22y)
Mother: Alive & well
Maternal grandmother: Macular degeneration (dx 74y), skin cancer (dx 50's), hyperthyroidism (dx 40's)
Maternal grandfather: Prostate cancer (dx mid 70's), egg allergy
Maternal aunts/uncles: Type I diabetes (aunt dx 12y)
Father: Skin cancer (dx mid 40's), eczema
Paternal grandmother: Breast cancer (dx 70's), Skin cancer (dx 60's), eczema (dx 20's)
Paternal grandfather: Died of suicide in his 60's, emphysema (dx 40's)
Paternal uncle: Eczema, scoliosis, depression, thyroid cancer (dx 55y)
Allergies :
Nickel
Various outdoor allergens (pollen, weeds, trees, etc.)
Animals with fur (cats, dogs, rabbits, etc.)
Various fragrances
Current medications :
Methotrexate 0.8mL subcutaneous injection weekly (started July 2014)
Folic acid 1mg tab PO daily (started June 2014)
Prednisone 10mg tab PO daily (started June 2014)
Tri-sprintec 28day pack, PO daily (started 2008, stopped May-July 2014, started again July 2014)
Buspirone 7.5mg tab PO BID (started June 2014)
Doxepin HCl 20mg tab PO daily (started June 2014)
Hydroxzine HCl 10mg tab PO daily (started June 2014)
Certrizine HCL 20mg tab PO daily (started 2009)
Halobetasol proprionate cream 0.5% PRN (started April 2014)
Medication history :
Paroxetine 20mg tab PO daily (April-June 2013)
Venlafaxine ER 75 mg tab PO daily (June-July 2013)
Buproprion HCL XL 15mg tab PO daily (July-December 2013)
Triamcinolone acetonide injection 60mg (September 2013)
Fluocinonide cream 0.05% PRN (September 2013-January 2014)
Prednisone 20mg tab PO- 60mg for first 3 days, 40 mg for second 3 days, 20mg for third 3 days (December 2014)
Permethrin cream 5% (January 2014)
Kenalog-80 injection (February 2014)
Cefadroxil 500mg cap PO daily (February-March 2014)
Topicort cream 0.25% PRN (February-March 2014)
Escitalopram 10mg tab PO daily (April 2014)
Nuvaring (May-July 2014)
Methotrexate 20mg tab PO weekly (June-July 2014)
Rash
Onset: September 2013
Location: Constantly covering the entirety of my lower back as well as the backs of my arms. When worse it will spread down my butt and legs, with an emphasis on the sides and backs of my thighs. It has also spread all the way down my arms. It has spread down my chest and stomach, but this is an uncommon location for it. It has never appeared on my hands, feet, face, head, scalp, neck, or genitalia.
Duration: Continuous for the past 10 months
Characteristics: Pruritic rash, which I consider to be the itchiest rash I have ever encountered. This is the type of rash that I will itch until it bleeds, everything I own is covered in blood from it. It is erythematous, with patches, excoriation, and papules. When an area heals a darker pigment/scar remains, these spots will become bright pink/red with physical exertion or heat.
Aggravating factors: Heat, pressure
Relieving factors: Medication (only those listed below), itching (very momentarily), and cold
Treatment: Glucocorticoids, halobetasol proprionate cream, and methotrexate
Lymphadenopathy
Onset: Sometime between January-February 2014
Location: Right axillary vault
Duration: Off and on, worse/larger at times rash is more severe.
Characteristics: Neoplasm of uncertain behavior: 1.5cm-3cm subcutaneous nodule that is soft with no skin surface changes. Lymph node is palpable when large, but not noticeable otherwise.
Ultrasound: Negative for any tumor, normal fat/skin tissue
Fatigue
Onset: September 2013
Location: Generalized
Duration: Constant
Relieving factors: None, neither additional sleep nor the use of caffeine eliminate the fatigue
Results (in order of when completed)
Papule biopsy: Inconclusive
Chest x-ray: Normal
CBC w/differential: Normal
Basic metabolic 2000 panel: Normal
Aspartate/alanine aminotransferase: Normal
Thyrotropin Ab: Normal
Food allergen: Initially wheat 40mm flare, soy 20mm flare. Follow-up, negative
Elimination diet: Negative for food allergy
Axilla ultrasound: Normal
ANA: Initial test positive 1:640 speckled and nucleolar pattern (completed in May 2014). Second test negative (Completed July 2014).
Other unspecified tests: Celiac (negative), discoid lupus (negative)
Photos
http://imgur.com/a/5Ue1d#0

It has been nearly a year that I have been covered in an extremely itchy rash, and I have yet to find a diagnosis. I have also been constantly fatigued, and have experienced right axillary swelling on and off. The leading theory is that I have an autoimmune disease of sorts, but the test results have not been conclusive (something that is hard to achieve with this disease category). I have been to two general practitioners, two dermatologists, an allergist, and a rheumatologist, but still don't have an answer and am not sure where to go next.
2013 was a stressful year for me, and made my anxiety go crazy. I graduated from college, got engaged, moved back home with my parents, planned a wedding, worked two high stress jobs, got married, moved into a new apartment, applied/was accepted for nursing school, quit my jobs, and then started nursing school. Needless to say there are plenty of possible "triggers", but that makes it more challenging to nail it down.
My clinical journey :
In September 2013 I began developing the rash. I immediately visited my dermatologist who gave me a Kenalog-40 injection and prescribed fluocinonide cream. This slightly decreased the severity of the symptoms, but the rash did not subside.
I visited with my GP the time following, as my insurance better covered them. She was under the belief that it was environmental, so I made changes to type of detergent, soaps, fabric types, and other products used. None of these changes affected the rash. She had me try various creams, even permethrin as she toyed with the idea it being of insect origin, but no relief was found. In December I stopped taking buproprion, as we thought this also could be the cause, but no relief was found. During this month she placed me on a 9-day cycle of prednisone as well, which did reduced the severity of the symptoms.
I returned to my dermatologist in February and reported swelling in my right axilla (description below) as well as the rash. He placed me on hydroxyzine to help me sleep and help with the itching, started me on halobetasol, and suggested I see an allergist as dermatitis herpetiformis/celiac disease was suspected. He took a punch biopsy of one of the papules on my back, but the results were inconclusive. He sent me for a chest x-ray, which came back normal. He also started me with UV-B phototherapy twice weekly, I continued this for 3 months but it neither helped nor worsened my skin. He did blood work on me and ran a CBC w/differential, a basic metabolic panel, aspartate aminotranseferase, alanine aminotransperase, and thyrotropin Ab, all of which came back normal.
I began visiting the allergist in February, who completed a food allergy panel. Prior to the visit I was instructed to discontinue my antihistamines for a week, I experienced hives with visible wheels (as shown in the photos). The panel was positive for wheat and soybean, so I was instructed to try an experimental wheat/soy free diet for the next month. My rash slightly improved, but when reintroduced to the foods, I produced no allergic response. In March, the allergist tried an additional expanded food allergy panel, to which I was negative to wheat/soy.
At this point I decided to start fresh, and found a new GP. He placed me on buspirone, as my anxiety was getting out of control. He took a comprehensive metabolic panel (normal), CBC w/differential (normal), and an ANA (positive). I was given a Kenalog-80 injection, which actually led to a significant decrease in the rash for 3 weeks. He had me get an ultrasound of my axilla, which was found to be normal tissue. Due to the positive ANA, he sent me to see a rheumatologist.
Prior to the rheumatologist, I went to my ob/gyn. She changed my birth control to the nuvaring, thinking a reaction to the drug could be a possibility. The skin issue did not resolve, and I returned to my previous birth control.
The rheumatologist ran additional blood work. I have yet to see the results, but was told that they came back negative. She verbally described that she ran another ANA, tested for discoid lupus, and tested for celiac disease. Although the ANA was negative, she started me back on a low-dose of prednisone and methotrexate. In the past 6 weeks on these medications, my skin has almost completely cleared. The rash still remains on my low back and the back of my left upper arm. In my appointment with her today she changed my methotrexate prescription from PO to a subcutaneous injection, as the injections have been shown to be more effective.
All in all, we have finally been able to figure out how to treat the symptoms but have yet to find/treat the cause.
General:
23y Caucasian female
5ft 5in, 170lb (was 155 in September 2013)
Regular diet, never smoker, occasional drinker
Married, monogamous
Up to date on all vaccinations, plus additional necessary for nursing school
Blood pressure usually around 110-120/70-80
Resting pulse usually in the 80's
Health history/comorbid conditions :
Generalized anxiety disorder (Diagnosed January 2013)
Mild asthma (Diagnosed 2006)
Scoliosis (Diagnosed 2004)
Hay fever
Sensitive skin
No surgical history
Family history:
Brother: Depression, gray matter heterotopia (dx 22y)
Mother: Alive & well
Maternal grandmother: Macular degeneration (dx 74y), skin cancer (dx 50's), hyperthyroidism (dx 40's)
Maternal grandfather: Prostate cancer (dx mid 70's), egg allergy
Maternal aunts/uncles: Type I diabetes (aunt dx 12y)
Father: Skin cancer (dx mid 40's), eczema
Paternal grandmother: Breast cancer (dx 70's), Skin cancer (dx 60's), eczema (dx 20's)
Paternal grandfather: Died of suicide in his 60's, emphysema (dx 40's)
Paternal uncle: Eczema, scoliosis, depression, thyroid cancer (dx 55y)
Allergies :
Nickel
Various outdoor allergens (pollen, weeds, trees, etc.)
Animals with fur (cats, dogs, rabbits, etc.)
Various fragrances
Current medications :
Methotrexate 0.8mL subcutaneous injection weekly (started July 2014)
Folic acid 1mg tab PO daily (started June 2014)
Prednisone 10mg tab PO daily (started June 2014)
Tri-sprintec 28day pack, PO daily (started 2008, stopped May-July 2014, started again July 2014)
Buspirone 7.5mg tab PO BID (started June 2014)
Doxepin HCl 20mg tab PO daily (started June 2014)
Hydroxzine HCl 10mg tab PO daily (started June 2014)
Certrizine HCL 20mg tab PO daily (started 2009)
Halobetasol proprionate cream 0.5% PRN (started April 2014)
Medication history :
Paroxetine 20mg tab PO daily (April-June 2013)
Venlafaxine ER 75 mg tab PO daily (June-July 2013)
Buproprion HCL XL 15mg tab PO daily (July-December 2013)
Triamcinolone acetonide injection 60mg (September 2013)
Fluocinonide cream 0.05% PRN (September 2013-January 2014)
Prednisone 20mg tab PO- 60mg for first 3 days, 40 mg for second 3 days, 20mg for third 3 days (December 2014)
Permethrin cream 5% (January 2014)
Kenalog-80 injection (February 2014)
Cefadroxil 500mg cap PO daily (February-March 2014)
Topicort cream 0.25% PRN (February-March 2014)
Escitalopram 10mg tab PO daily (April 2014)
Nuvaring (May-July 2014)
Methotrexate 20mg tab PO weekly (June-July 2014)
Rash
Onset: September 2013
Location: Constantly covering the entirety of my lower back as well as the backs of my arms. When worse it will spread down my butt and legs, with an emphasis on the sides and backs of my thighs. It has also spread all the way down my arms. It has spread down my chest and stomach, but this is an uncommon location for it. It has never appeared on my hands, feet, face, head, scalp, neck, or genitalia.
Duration: Continuous for the past 10 months
Characteristics: Pruritic rash, which I consider to be the itchiest rash I have ever encountered. This is the type of rash that I will itch until it bleeds, everything I own is covered in blood from it. It is erythematous, with patches, excoriation, and papules. When an area heals a darker pigment/scar remains, these spots will become bright pink/red with physical exertion or heat.
Aggravating factors: Heat, pressure
Relieving factors: Medication (only those listed below), itching (very momentarily), and cold
Treatment: Glucocorticoids, halobetasol proprionate cream, and methotrexate
Lymphadenopathy
Onset: Sometime between January-February 2014
Location: Right axillary vault
Duration: Off and on, worse/larger at times rash is more severe.
Characteristics: Neoplasm of uncertain behavior: 1.5cm-3cm subcutaneous nodule that is soft with no skin surface changes. Lymph node is palpable when large, but not noticeable otherwise.
Ultrasound: Negative for any tumor, normal fat/skin tissue
Fatigue
Onset: September 2013
Location: Generalized
Duration: Constant
Relieving factors: None, neither additional sleep nor the use of caffeine eliminate the fatigue
Results (in order of when completed)
Papule biopsy: Inconclusive
Chest x-ray: Normal
CBC w/differential: Normal
Basic metabolic 2000 panel: Normal
Aspartate/alanine aminotransferase: Normal
Thyrotropin Ab: Normal
Food allergen: Initially wheat 40mm flare, soy 20mm flare. Follow-up, negative
Elimination diet: Negative for food allergy
Axilla ultrasound: Normal
ANA: Initial test positive 1:640 speckled and nucleolar pattern (completed in May 2014). Second test negative (Completed July 2014).
Other unspecified tests: Celiac (negative), discoid lupus (negative)
Photos
http://imgur.com/a/5Ue1d#0